My list..

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

You are doing it right I think.

===== 5 plants in 15 sq-ft corresponds to 3 sq-ft per plant ( as I said )
===== in 56 sq-ft 18 plants will also be 3 sq-ft per plant.

So the total will be roughly 23 plants.
What I have suggested is what I have been doing for the past 3 seasons myself. So it is not something theoretical. For example in a 2.5ft by 5ft I will plant 4. I have done 5 too. That would be 2.5sq-ft per plant.

Gardeneer

Do you remove the suckers?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Dark Rumor

One bed is 3'x5' - 15 sq ft - I was planning on 5 to 6 plants
the second bed is 8'x7' - 56 sq ft - I was planning on 16 to 20 plants
I will probably keep it to the 3 square feet per plant

My question is......how are you going to grow them in your raised beds, by staking, by caging, etc, b/c that does make a large difference in how many plants and how far apart,

With the 8 X 7' garden if you don't leave a central pathway running down the middle I think it's going to very difficult for you to have to get inside that bed to fertilize ,water, and to prune if needed, especially if staking plants.

Carolyn

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

My question is......how are you going to grow them in your raised beds, by staking, by caging, etc, b/c that does make a large difference in how many plants and how far apart,

With the 8 X 7' garden if you don't leave a central pathway running down the middle I think it's going to very difficult for you to have to get inside that bed to fertilize ,water, and to prune if needed, especially if staking plants.

Carolyn

I use cages, I am debating on how many suckers I should leave, if any?
Any thoughts?

As far as watering I use a soaker hose. I can generally work my way around the plants to do the pruning and fertilizing.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Dark Rumor

I use cages, I am debating on how many suckers I should leave, if any?
Any thoughts?

As far as watering I use a soaker hose. I can generally work my way around the plants to do the pruning and fertilizing.

I always had plenty of room to grow tomatoes when I was still living at the old farm where I was raised, but as I moved from here to there, as in Rochester, NY,Denver, back home to different locations, etc. I no longer could sprawl mine,which worked out fine.

I have grown now lots of varieties by Caging and sometimes the same variety by both caging and sprawling in the same season.

IMO it depends on the diameter and height of the cages you are using, I made mine and they were 22 " in diameter and I think a little over 3 ft high.

The cages were spaced about 3-4 ft apart in the row to allow for good air circulation,and that to help prevent the common foliage diseases.

And I never pruned them at all,just tucked the new growth back into the cage, but as the season progressed would take off any yellow leaves at the bottom of the plants to help prevent whats called Splashback infection.

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Dark Rumor

Do you remove the suckers?

If Determinat, I just do some lower leaf branch pruning and clean up, mostly. Also if I detect some weak suckers , I nip them too as they will have no chance to bear fruits. But let most healthy branches stay.The reason is that, in DET plant each branch has a limited fruiting potential. So by having more branches you will get bore fruits, at intervals.

If Indeterminant:
I prune every thing that grow within 12 -18" from ground. Then I keep 3 and at the most 4 branches. Some tomato plants naturally "fork out". That is you see two branches growing in a "V" form. I don't consider such branching as "Suckering". Those are keepers. Sucker grow much later from leaf nodes. Those are the ones that I prune.

Gardenee

[Dark Rumor]

Caroly and Gardenee thanks for the input, because I am trying to maximize the number of plants in the raised beds, I was thinking I would trim most of the suckers back and after the plants reach a certain height I would remove the bottom layer of branches. My plants have gotten foilage disease and removing the lower branches is one thing I will definitely do.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Dark Rumor

Caroly and Gardenee thanks for the input, because I am trying to maximize the number of plants in the raised beds, I was thinking I would trim most of the suckers back and after the plants reach a certain height I would remove the bottom layer of branches. My plants have gotten foilage disease and removing the lower branches is one thing I will definitely do.

Mine look like little palm trees at the first of the season to help stop it.
I keep doing it until I have taken these leaves off up to about 18 inches or so and then any that show signs.
Worth

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Mine look like little palm trees at the first of the season to help stop it.
I keep doing it until I have taken these leaves off up to about 18 inches or so and then any that show signs.
Worth

LOL on the Palm Trees

[Gardeneer]

Sorry, not to hi jack the thread but now that "pruning" is being discussed, I believe in systematic pruning, especially of the lower leaf branches.
Here is a picture from a commercial greenhouse with 7 acres under the roof.

[gssgarden]

Wow! That's a cool pic!!

I prune as well. everything from the first flower buds down to start. Then what I deem as 'not going to produce anything' goes. Suckers that grow late and just don't have the time to produce, or will produce tiny toms don't make the cut.

Greg

[gssgarden]

Norway, I have grown both Goliath Hybrid and Big Beef for years now. Both are extremely similar. Production monsters up until frost. Very good flavor on disease free plants.

It would be tough for me to choose but MAYBE Big Beef has an edge. I'll grow a couple plants and during the growing season I'll pick a few a day!

Greg

[gssgarden]

Kath, I do combine them all as the darks really deepen the flavor for me. I get different shades of red but never muddy! lol

I've done one variety sauce a couple times with Shannon's and Big Beef, both came out wonderful. When I do mix, there is usually a yellow or orange in there to lighten up the blacks. Plus I LOVE the flavor of the black I choose.

Greg